Serena's Mission

Serena Williams beat defending Wimbledon champion, Petra Kvitova in straight sets on Centre Court today under the closed roof as persistent showers threatened to derail the schedule of the Ladies Quarter-final day.  That coupled with the requirement of Mens's 4th Round matches needed to be completed, meant that the LTA were right to build a roof for days like this and seasons of weather like we have been experiencing in England this year.

For Williams it was a leap back from the unknown.  Still smarting from her defeat to Virginia Razzano in the first round of the French Open a month ago; Serena needed this sort of match and this sort of victory.

Kvitova has had a torrid year, her first at the head table of the women's game.  She has admitted struggles with expectations, and her first round match her was a self-expressed disaster.  Yet she seemed to have turned the corner, as she came from a set down against the feisty Francesca Schivaone yesterday to meet the sixth seed, Serena.

Yet today, the more graceful Kvitova had no answer for the sheer brute force of Williams who won 6-3, 7-5; breaking Kvitova when serving at 5-5 in the 2nd set.  Serena rounded off a fine display by dispatching her trusted weapon of her first serve to easily serve out for the match.

Yet there has to be a case that if Williams was to win her 5th Wimbledon title this year it could be considered a formidable comeback and feel good story.

Williams has always had confidence, inbred in her by her father/coach Richard from an early age; hence her indominatable spirit and tenacity to always succeed and to rarely give up without a fight.  Yet the cut she sustained on her foot in Munich last year, also led to a blood clot on her lung being found and led to her almost giving up on the game that she has given so much to and given so much to her.

Add that to the Razzano defeat, she has not won a major since her last Wimbledon title of 2010, and with the resurrection of Maria Sharapova, and continued growing of Victoria Azarenka and Agnieszka Radwanska; there were murmurs if the Williams' still had a presence in the game.

Because of Venus' debilitating auto-immune disorder which renders her unable to compete at the highest level anymore; would it be inconceivable for us to consider that Serena wants to win Wimbledon this year as a mark of respect and honour to her sister.  They still are both in the doubles and will aim to compete in that together.

Yet for two women who changed the game so much, making it both enticing and athletic it would be a shame if Venus was lost to a muscle disorder and a shame if Serena could not finish off the job this week.  She has two more matches left, two more matches to Number 14.  A legend just adding to the fact.